Spiders n stuff

Why does Blogger always change the order of my pictures? (rhetorical question - no postcards please). Here is the newly moulted Diego (Dolly as was). He is big leggie. As Dolly he was small, pink and fluffy and very cute. Diego gives off a different vibe completely. He is now less pink and fluffy and more big and menacing.
This is part of a Raku face wall hanging M made for our hall. It's amazing. I have requested a whole gallery full so I can faces the whole length of the staircase.
Here is Diego stretched out. One long spider!

So sad to read about Steve Irwin, he is (was) one of J's hero's. We have a talking Steve Irwin doll, we saw the film, have watched all the Croc Files and Crocodile Hunter programmes. I know it may sound trite etc - but my thoughts are with his family today. He made J love animals and animal conservation, he inspired many an H.E. project and he made us smile. Good on yer Stevo!

My light summer cold has matured into a rip snorter. I can't breath, I have an awful cough, I ache and in general feel like shit. My mouth tastes like the bottom of a parrots cage! On the upside - I finished Wilkie Collins 'Woman in White' - I was sure I had read this before - but I can't have - I would have remembered it. What a great book! I hate mystery/thriller types normally, but this was un-put-a-downable. So impressed am I, that this morning I started the 'Moonstone'. I also got lots of knitting done - but nothing finished - just progress on existing stuff.

Now here is the downside. Whenever I am ill, J is a pain in the arse. He takes the opportunity to play up, big time. He has made both of our lives hell this weekend. M is recovering from this bug, he's on call and has had a hectic week at work. Instead of a weekend of R & R he had to do the lot - as unusual for me - I was so ill I had to sleep. So J acted up. He was rude and obnoxious. He hit out at M - not acceptable. He wouldn't dare do that to me - so why do it to his Dad? I was so fed up, that I threatened him (this is rare) that if I caught/saw/heard act in a violent way to M again I would smack him and see how he liked being hit and then put him to bed. J is 9. We do not smack in this family, M has never smacked him, I have once about 6 years ago and swore never again - it felt so wrong. But I believe that if I make a threat and my bluff is called then I must carry it out - he would never take me seriously again if I didn't. (Can you see where this is going?) I thought this threat was soooo bad - he wouldn't dare...he did, the very next morning.
So yesterday, I had to smack my kids bum and put him to bed (feeling not only very ill but like the worse parent in the world). I smacked him on a buttock, firmly, in a calm rational manner. I didn't hit in temper or anger - I feel/felt awful. J is very challenging at the moment, he is pushing us, everyday has its moment of trial by parenting. I don't expect answers/sympathy/advice etc - just wanted to vent a bit. But I do wonder...what now? I hope the shock of it will at least make him stop and think if he ever feels like hitting out at M again. He's also lucky that M has such control over his temper and never lashes out but just walks away. Surely at 9 it's too soon to be hormones? - But his behaviour is very, very teenage - yuck!

So, today, I feel low. This bug is really taking it out of me. I need to rest and recover. I am going to be selfish and do just that. I have set J a load of math - no autonomous learning today - he can sit quiet and do what he is told - he is not happy but it is peaceful. I'm off to make some ginger tea and listen to an audio book and hopefully get some more sleep.